cc The partition of Poland is the first act of the new peace and the signa-
tures of President Roosevelt and the Prime Minister Churchill are appended
thereto. Whether such a peace is lasting or not the future will reveal in a
very short time. Anyone knowing the history of the Polish people will
realise that it is an impossibility to erect a lasting peace over the grave of that
nation.
" The partition of Poland at Yalta by Russia^ England and America
was perpetuated in the same way as the fourth partition had been accom-
plished by Hitler and Stalin. Just as in Moscow in 1939, all rules and cus-
toms of war to which mankind has adhered since civilisation first began
were omitted at Yalta in 1945. The living body of a nation was carved up
without regard to its will,, and without considering any sworn obligations
given to it by Russia and England and without the knowledge even of its
legal Government.
" Poland is an Ally. The Allies have treated this Ally with a contempt
which they have not accorded their worst foe. They were forcing a frontier
on Poland depriving her of the possibility of life, and in the same declaration
honoured Germany to the extent of postponing the determination of its
frontiers until the Peace Conferencej until the moment when the surrender
of that country would place in their hands the right to determine its fate
legally. The Polish Ally was regarded as a signatory whom it would be
useless to consult as to whether or not it would give way and agree to this
enforcement of the foreign will on its country.
" If there existed any international act which flouted established law and
order—it was this Black Charter, concocted and signed at the Crimea.
What lawful titles did the representatives of England and the United States
hold enabling them to decide over the fate of millions of Polish citizens or
to preside over the fate of the Polish State ? In this instance they did not
even possess the most barbaric of rights—the right of conquest . . . They
had not overcome Poland, whom they now wished to carve up ... They
had not fought with her at all. On the contrary, they had benefitted by her
services, by her sacrifices heroism and faithfulness . . . And has faithfulness,
sacrifice and heroism ever justified the murder of the one who keeps his
word and who has been the comrade in the battle ? There is not in the
Constitution of the United States or England;, or anywhere in the world,
a rule, custom or precedence which entitled the representatives of the
United States and England to usurp rights greater than the Almighty
Himself. The Polish Nation refuses to give President Roosevelt and
Churchill the right to put it to death.
"If there is in the history of mankind any act which set at nought the
principles of democracy—the Soviet Black Charter was it. The principle
of democracy is, equality within the law. Where is this equality, if the fate
of the Polish Ally is decided behind its back and to its detriment ? The
principle of democracy is esteem for the rights of the individnal—more even,
the rights of millions of individuals. This Crimean decision is handing
over twelve million Polish citizens into Soviet slavery. It hands them over
into Soviet slavery for ever, bringing up the children and grand-children
of these free people who were living on free Polish soil as Russian slaves.
Was their wish ever taken into consideration ? Were they even asked ?
Were their rights taken into consideration ? Once in the days of Lincoln,
America was bathed in blood so that a few million black slaves, living in
paradise when compared to the lives of those Poles given into Soviet slavery,
should be released into freedom ! Have our sons and brothers to give their
lives in order to place into Soviet slavery the hundreds and millions of free
people ? Was it to be a fight for democracy or against democracy ? **
441